My personal observations; inspired by life experiences and the world around me. My own revelations; thoughts; snippets of wisdom; random insanity; blunt honesty. I hope to attempt in some small way to be insightful; or not so much. Some laughter, a few tears but mostly just... ME!
The thoughts, views and comments written here are mine alone and written from the beliefs I have developed, from the observations, actions and words of others.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

What's REALLY Going On?

The little rube lives by the motto; "Do as I say, Not as I do." He wants everyone to believe he is above it all by not participating in the City's Retirement. Truth be told he has made millions of dollars, ALL taxpayer dollars, through government contracts he has sought out by stretching the truth and spinning reality. He will have everyone believe he is the guru of eliminating government waste and spending. Reality is he spends more money promoting his agenda and promulgating his many falsehoods. The City Beat did a story the other day titled, "Hey, big spender" outing the little rube and how he is spending taxpayer money. It would not surprise most of you that the rube spends more money than his council colleagues. He has spent almost as much as all of his colleagues combined in printing and postage. The rube spent $91,888 and his colleagues combined spent $123,087. The little rube has spent two to fifteen times as much as his council colleagues in discretionary spending on travel, conferences, office supplies and consulting ($50,000 for his Roadmap and addendum report regarding enrolling public safety new hires in a 401k retirement). He calls himself a "Watchdog?"

The little rube is using taxpayer dollars to further his goal of seeking higher office. His run for mayor in 2012 is being financed in part by tax dollars. Where is San Diego's Elliot Spitzer? It's high time someone start paying attention to the goings on in District 5's council office. How much groundwork is being laid during business hours for his quest for higher office on the taxpayer's dime? Is the expenditure of taxpayer dollars for the rental of various venues to promote his agenda and introduce himself to voters outside his district a legitimate use of public funds?

Who is paying attention?

When the government approved the use of 401K style plans to supplement retirements, they were never intended to be stand alone retirement benefits for workers in America. The plan being promoted in San Diego to move all city employees with the exception of Police Officers into a 401K retirement will have catastrophic consequences. When private employers moved away from the "Defined Benefit" retirement plans a drastic change in the workforce took place. Employees no longer felt loyalty toward a company. The days of working for the same company until retirement were gone. Where 20, 30, 40 year employees was the norm, now the average worker will change jobs 5 to 8 times in their lifetime; some spending on average only 18-24 months with the same company. Chasing the dollar has become the norm. The same will happen to those who come to San Diego. The citizens will suffer in ways they cannot imagine. When government employees cannot share in profits or receive bonuses and their pay is lower than the private sector, why would a high quality, highly educated and qualified person want to join their ranks? Technical jobs; fire fighters, paramedics, lifeguards, engineers, attorneys, DNA laboratory and water quality experts will be filled with those seeking experience and training and quickly move to city's offering better wages and benefits that include a secure defined benefit retirement.

The mayor's legacy is taking shape and it is not a good one. I called this one a long time ago. He will go down in history as one of the worst if not the worst on record. He had every opportunity to do the right thing and fix a broken city. He instead jumped on the political bandwagon being whipped by the Union Tribune. He said openly in his early days when running for mayor, he could not tell the truth about the retirement system because he would not get elected. He has continued this and refused to take the risky and bold stand to do the right thing and actually make the adjustments necessary to bring the retirement system back to its once acceptable funding level.

The old addage, "You get what you pay for" is soon to become reality. The groundwork has been laid and the house of cards is crumbling around us.

4 comments:

feduptaxpayer
said...

Once again you show your ignorance of economics when you state "government employees don't share in revenue or get bonuses"...that's because YOU DON'T GENERATE ANY INCOME!!! AND, the government is not a for-profit company!!! The income generated -- which only comes from taxes!!! -- is put into things like your salaries and benefits! And, once again, do your homework before trying to claim that government employees make less than private sector workers! That USED TO be the case but is no longer so. The average government worker makes, with salary and benefits, $120,000, whereas, the average private sector worker makes, with salary and benefits, just over $75,000. Do the research!!! This is the absolute, undeniable truth!!! Try truth once in awhile! It's a good thing!

feduptaxpayer; you need to really get a grip. We do not generate income? Really? OK. We do not share in the income we generate this is true. Many of the jobs performed by government workers generate income. The income generated allow you and the others tea party wonks to pay less taxes. We do not turn out widgets but income is generated by the jobs we do.

The "average" income you cite is a joke. The "average" you use includes the income of minimum wage employees who work part time and the millions of service orientated employees who only work for tips as well as retail sales employees and the list goes on. Try adding the income of the Bill Gates and T. Bone Pickens and the other mega billionares and then compare the "average" salary or workers.

Compare apples to apples and the salary and benefits are comparable. In many of the professional jobs private employees far out pace public sector employees in wages and benefits (attorneys as an example; doctors; laboratory workers; professors and college administrative employees).

As far as suggestions to fixing the problems I have made many suggeestions that were acceptable to unions and their employees and in some cases even those who blast our benefits and wages. Fixing the problems created by politicians does not figure into their political agenda. If fixing the problem was their desire it would have been done several years ago.

I go back to Gerry Sanders comment; "If I told the truth about the retirement I would not get elected."

Reality is not the truth you want to hear and your continued rants are a joke.

I just don't see the point in continuing a dialog with someone who doesn't WANT to know the facts and deal within them. Your lack of reason and myopic view of these issues are obviously not open for discussion, you simply want everyone to see everything in the same narrow-minded and opinionated way that you do. Well, I do not now, and never will refuse to listen to opposing viewpoints and consider their value. Since you are completely unwilling to consider yourself wrong, and do the research necessary to understand any opposing view, I will not spend any more of my valuable time on your biased and useless blog. Farewell, Sparky!

About Me

Veteran of the San Diego Police Department who retired on 12/30/2011, after 32 years 8 months; San Diego native born and raised; Fed up with the treatment of government workers at the hands of a mayor and city council who do not value the public's interest or safety. Retired from a career in Law Enforcement that for the most part has been entertaining if not educational. I spent 12 years (1994-2006) as a Trustee for the Poway Unified School Districts Board of Education. I also served two stints as a Director for the San Diego Police Officer's Association. Politics has taught me a lot about people. I would be hard pressed to find something good about politics and politicians. So I write